Who wants to Help with a Community BBQ?
I, Brad Emens, am coordinating a Silverado Ranch community BBQ/party for this spring, 2006. This will become an annual event with something for everyone; face painting and jumpy houses for the kids, my signature BBQ chicken and pork with all the fixings, live music, and free raffles for prizes every half hour. What do you think? Family and friends will be invited from blocks around. My vision is to hold this festival centrally at Cactus Avenue and Amigo Street. Today, that area is a gravel pit. In 2010, if I have any thing to do with it, it will be a park where we will celebrate. Until then, I will be diligently looking for a green, grassy area to hold such an event. If you have any ideas about activities or a location for the party call me, Brad Emens (702) 808-3531, or email me at sgtbrad@cox.net with your comments and ideas.
Cactus Court
Have you seen the DR Horton housing development across the street from Cactus Jack’s near Maryland Parkway and Cactus Avenue? These homes are triplexes, three separate housing units in a single building that share common walls, that range in price* from $221,900 to $264,900. There will be three models; a 1,210 square foot model with 2-bedroom/2-bathrooms for $221,900; a 1,399 square foot, 3-bedroom/2.5-bathroom model for $244,900; and a 1,617 square foot, 3-bedroom/2.5-bathroom model for $264,900. With the price of land still appreciating faster than the price of homes we will see high-density developments more and more. This will keep housing affordable. If you would like to learn more about these or any other real estate opportunities call me, Brad Emens (702) 808-3531.
*Price subject to change and does not include any options
What will be next to Lowe's?
Recently, an interested local emailed me with a question. The question read, “Thank you for your work. I look forward to reading your South Valley Reader every month. What will be developed at the corner of Jeffery’s Street and Dave Street?” The answer that I researched and discovered is: There are two vacant parcels west of the Lowe’s and east of Positano Apartments. The northeast lot, closest to the Lowe’s entrance from Jeffery’s Street, is a 19.6 +/- acre lot owned by DR Horton Inc. It cost $8,803,000 on June 22nd, 2004. This parcel is now zoned R-E (two units per acre) and is currently in Resolution of Intent (ROI). The developer will go before Clark CountyCommissioners on January 4th, 2006 to see if its development plan is the highest and best use for the parcel. DR Horton wants to build triplexes there, similar to Cactus Court. I will keep you posted on the outcome.
The southeast parcel, bordered by St. Rose Parkway on the south, is a 6.93+/- acre lot and is currently zoned R-E (two units per acre). Kevin Golshan ETAL paid $5,150,000 on August 12th in 2004 for it. On December 13th, 2005 I spoke with James Gross from Clark County’s Comprehensive Planning Division. He told me, “The owner of the land wants to build three towers and they are approved for, up to, 100 feet in height.” He then told me, “It (the proposed design plan) is for a mixed use development and they were approved for everything they asked for.” I wonder how much will be allowed?
Wow, can you imagine that? We will have a high-rise/high-density multifarious working/living area to our east. The southwest corner of Jeffrey’s Street at Dave Street, across from Positano Apartments, is in Resolution of Intent (ROI) for C-2, or general commercial. When more information is released I will let you know. Thank you again and, as always, I welcome your questions.
I wish I had a Crystal Ball 
Picture is only simulation
On December 5th, 2005 I attended a community meeting south of downtown regarding a future high-rise complex. First American Property Advisors is the organization that provided the redevelopment information. The Redevelopment Handbook says, “You may exchange your current condo for a new unit of equal size in the new high-rise tower at no cost to you.”*1 The 2-bedroom/2-bathroom units now are selling for about $200,000. That is $232 per square foot and the future price per square foot, for non-owners, may be upwards of $390-$420 per square foot.
If one would like a larger unit than they currently own he/she may purchase a larger unit. The handbook goes on to say, “The owner may increase or decrease the number of bedrooms and will be charged or compensated for the difference at $350 per square foot.”*2 When I wrote this story on December 16th, 2005 I checked the MLXchange (MLS). I found that the current high-rise market is selling for about $362-$986 per square foot. The high-rise market is here and will continue to become more prevalent as land values continue to rise. At the meeting, Michael Maloney, a supporter of the proposed development,said, “There will be four buildings with about 2,900 units and about 740 units in each building.” If you are interested in learning more about being part of this Las Vegas “Manhattanization” call me, Brad Emens (702) 808-3531. *First American Property Advisor Inc., Casa Vegas Redevelopment Handbook September 12, 2005
Toast a New Year with our Mayor
It will be tough to beat last year's Las Vegas party that celebrated the city's 100th birthday and kicked off a year of centennial events. But, Las Vegas Events and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority plan on doing just that. According to an article in americasparty2006.com, “Fireworks by Grucci met with city leaders at the Fashion Show Mall to announce the details for America’s Party.” The article went on to say, “The theme of the pyrotechnic display will be Vegas Through the Years: A Finale to the Centennial.”
The Las Vegas New Year extravaganza will ring in 2006 with classic Las Vegas style. The “tribute in light and sound” will celebrate Las Vegas rich history with a grand finale to honor the city’s Centennial. According to lasvegasevents.com, “More than 40,000 effects will be fired from rooftop locations.” In fact, “The soundtrack to the show will include Las Vegas icons like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Tom Jones, Elvis and Liberace.” The ten-rooftop locations for the pyrotechnic display include the Excalibur, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, Bally’s, Flamingo Las Vegas, Venetian, Treasure Island (TI), Stardust, Circus-Circus and Stratosphere. Mayor Oscar Goodman said, “Las Vegas is like no other city in the world. We’re ending our Centennial year with a bang, literally.” He went on to say, “The magnitude of this spectacular fireworks display will pay tribute to the greatness of Las Vegas, and I guarantee you won’t want to miss it.”
Party goers spending the evening downtown at the Fremont Street Experience, where Las Vegas first began, will pay tribute to Las Vegas history with a New Year’s Eve celebration featuring live music and entertainment beginning at 7 p.m. Mayor Oscar Goodman, and 12,000 revelers, plan on breaking the Guinness record for the World’s Largest Toast under the canopy of the Fremont Street Experience. The toast will be at 11:50 p.m. on December 31, 2005. For information on New Year’s Eve festivities throughout Las Vegas, visit www.visitlasvegas.com. For information about America’s Party: 2006, visit www.americasparty2006.com
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
December 2005
Saturday, December 03, 2005
November 2005
Local Construction
Did any one see the triple-decker tower houses south of Pyle Avenue on Maryland Parkway? They seemed to just sprout from the ground last month. On October 12th, 2005 I stopped by Picket Lane, built by Richmond American Homes, sales office. These 1,430 sq ft, 1,532 sq ft and 1,730 sq ft homes range in price from $276,990* to $309,990* and all come standard with a 2 car garage. If you are interested in learning more about these homes call me, Brad Emens (702) 808-3531.
*Prices are subject to change and do not include options.
Is Las Vegas Housing Market Cooling Off?
Asking prices for homes have been dropping but sales prices are still on the rise. The median price for a home in the greater Las Vegas area is $310,000! Some neighborhoods have seen appreciation of 50%, 60%, even 70%. Now, it looks like things have leveled back off. I would be happy to see an appreciation of 5% or better next year.
On November 12, 2005, I spoke with Jack LeVine, a top producing Realtor in Las Vegas, about the real estate market. He said, “It has cooled off for the short term.” This time of year traditionally does slow down. In fact, people are less likely to buy or sell a home during the holiday/winter season. I have seen houses that have been sitting on the market for several weeks and even months. There are still ways to move your property. How? Here’s how:
Tip # 1 Hire a Realtor you trust. This is another solution to getting top dollar for your home. The amount, and type, of exposure your home gets can be measured in the amount of traffic you get. If you put up a “For Sale By Owner” sign the only people who know your home is for sale are our neighbors and the people out driving around looking for a deal.
Tip # 2 Set your price right. It is very difficult and expensive to sell an overpriced house. One way to find the true value of your home is by comparing it to similar homes that recently sold in the area and, more important, the entire Las Vegas Valley. If you want to compare your home to other houses that have sold feel free to call me, Brad Emens (702) 808-3531. I will be glad to give you a comparative market analysis.
Tip # 3 Prepare your home before putting a “For Sale” sign up. Help sell your home with low cost cosmetic steps. Hire a professional cleaning service to give your home a deep clean, cut the grass, clean up the outside, paint drab walls and remove the clutter of daily living. Why? Because people buy homes that appear clean, solid and well maintained.
Tip # 4 Sell your house with an “Open House.” Kick off your home selling campaign with an open house. Invite all the neighbors for blocks around your house. Show them your home's best points and tell them your price. Why? Because neighbors are the best promoters of the neighborhood and they all have friends and family who buy homes.
If you want to learn how to effectively market you home , or you know someone that does, I would appreciate it if you referred them to me, Brad Emens (702) 808-3531.
Did any one see the triple-decker tower houses south of Pyle Avenue on Maryland Parkway? They seemed to just sprout from the ground last month. On October 12th, 2005 I stopped by Picket Lane, built by Richmond American Homes, sales office. These 1,430 sq ft, 1,532 sq ft and 1,730 sq ft homes range in price from $276,990* to $309,990* and all come standard with a 2 car garage. If you are interested in learning more about these homes call me, Brad Emens (702) 808-3531.
*Prices are subject to change and do not include options.
Is Las Vegas Housing Market Cooling Off?
Asking prices for homes have been dropping but sales prices are still on the rise. The median price for a home in the greater Las Vegas area is $310,000! Some neighborhoods have seen appreciation of 50%, 60%, even 70%. Now, it looks like things have leveled back off. I would be happy to see an appreciation of 5% or better next year.
On November 12, 2005, I spoke with Jack LeVine, a top producing Realtor in Las Vegas, about the real estate market. He said, “It has cooled off for the short term.” This time of year traditionally does slow down. In fact, people are less likely to buy or sell a home during the holiday/winter season. I have seen houses that have been sitting on the market for several weeks and even months. There are still ways to move your property. How? Here’s how:
Tip # 1 Hire a Realtor you trust. This is another solution to getting top dollar for your home. The amount, and type, of exposure your home gets can be measured in the amount of traffic you get. If you put up a “For Sale By Owner” sign the only people who know your home is for sale are our neighbors and the people out driving around looking for a deal.
Tip # 2 Set your price right. It is very difficult and expensive to sell an overpriced house. One way to find the true value of your home is by comparing it to similar homes that recently sold in the area and, more important, the entire Las Vegas Valley. If you want to compare your home to other houses that have sold feel free to call me, Brad Emens (702) 808-3531. I will be glad to give you a comparative market analysis.
Tip # 3 Prepare your home before putting a “For Sale” sign up. Help sell your home with low cost cosmetic steps. Hire a professional cleaning service to give your home a deep clean, cut the grass, clean up the outside, paint drab walls and remove the clutter of daily living. Why? Because people buy homes that appear clean, solid and well maintained.
Tip # 4 Sell your house with an “Open House.” Kick off your home selling campaign with an open house. Invite all the neighbors for blocks around your house. Show them your home's best points and tell them your price. Why? Because neighbors are the best promoters of the neighborhood and they all have friends and family who buy homes.
If you want to learn how to effectively market you home , or you know someone that does, I would appreciate it if you referred them to me, Brad Emens (702) 808-3531.
El Pollo Loco under construction.
Silverado Ranch Boulevard at Bermuda Road
On October 27th, 2005 I was getting gas at our local 7-11 on the corner of Silverado Ranch Boulevard at Bermuda Road. Across the street, next to Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, I saw a team of construction workers pull up the last frame to complete the skeletal structure of what seemed to be another retail center. Immediately, I drove over to the construction site to see what was going on.
Keith St. George, superintendent of the project, told me, “The south end unit will be an El Pollo Loco with a few more retail businesses behind it.” He told me, “Completion date will be in the middle, and more than likely, late January…” of 2006. The northwest corner, a 45 +/- acre lot currently zoned C-2 or general commercial, is owned by BROADCAST ASSOCIATES INC.
Wow, can you believe how fast our area has become more and more developed? I heard it through the grapevine that the empty lot, closer to Bermuda Road (on the northeast corner), will be a Bank of America. I wonder how long it will be before we get a Starbuck’s?
Boca Raton
Imagine, luxury mid-rise living without all the maintenance of a stand-alone home. Boca Raton condominium homes prices are in the low $300,000s and up to $1.2 million. They range in size from 593 square feet to 2,400 square feet. The homes come in 41 floor plans including the Caravella Model; a two-story condominium with a private street-side entrance. On November 8th, 2005 Dorothy Bell, an agent from Boca Raton’s sales center, said, “Most of the people buying here love the floor plans and appreciate that they don’t have to ride in an elevator for a long time.”
Located just off of Las Vegas Boulevard, at 2475 West Serene Avenue, Boca Raton condominium homes have 1 to 3 bedrooms and 1 ½ to 2 ½ bathrooms. According to latimes.com, “The seven-story community encompasses four buildings with 756 homes.” Two of the four buildings have been released and two-thirds of the homes already sold. Construction of Phase 1, which offers 172 homes, is supposed to be complete in the fall of 2006.
The best benefits of the Boca Raton community are its amenities. Some include concierge service, a business center, a fully equipped clubhouse, a movie theater, a fitness center, and two pools. Call me, Brad Emens 702-808-3531, if you would like to learn more.
Cactus Sand and Gravel
The question I am asked most frequently is, “What’s the deal with the gravel pit?” On June 5, 2003 the Las Vegas Sun wrote this story.
“The pit, at Amigo Street and Cactus Avenue, just outside of Henderson, has for a decade bothered residents who complained of noise and dust from blasting, mining and hauling from the site. The pit, however, is ultimately supposed to become a basin to trap floodwaters, and so has support from the county government. Several other companies are participants in the operation. Impact Sand and Gravel is named in county documents as the operator of the site; Cactus Sand and Gravel and the Canarelli Family Trust.”
The exact future of the land is uncertain. An article in the July 22nd, 2004 Las Vegas Sun said,
“The Clark County Commission…gave a six-year lease on life to continue digging at a gravel pit in the residential Silverado Ranch area despite the warning from the county's legal counsel that the pit amounted to a commercial mining operation.”
At the last community meeting, held on August 8th, 2005, Luis Cervantes, one of the general managers and public relations representatives for Impact Sand and Gravel, told us, “It (the gravel pit) will not be a detention basin but a retention basin…that controls flooding down stream.” Did you know we live near the Pittman Wash? Its course runs a few hundred feet west of the intersection Maryland Parkway at Pyle Avenue. The retention basin will help control floodwaters on the south side of the valley and drain the rainwater to Lake Mead.
Development of our valley requires the presence of the gravel pit; I, Brad Emens, know this and my back yard faces Cactus Avenue. Every morning I hear the thunderous trucks at 4:00 AM. If you have any questions or concerns about the gravel pit there are quarterly community meetings. I will let you know when the next one is scheduled.
South Coast Casino Update
JA Tiberti Construction, who has been building in Las Vegas for more than fifty years, is the builder of the $600 million South Coast. I spoke with Andi Reddick, assistant to Ron Frye, Vice President of Construction for Coast Casinos, on November 8th, 2005. She told me, “The casino, Century Cinema, the north tower (guest rooms) and a 64 lane bowling alley are expected to open December 15th,” 2005. She went on to tell me, “The Equestrian Center is expected to open next February and the south tower will open at the beginning of May, 2006.”
Some of the attractions will include six restaurants, a sixteen screen movie theatre complex, 2,400 video poker and slot machines, a 600 seat bingo hall, a spa and fitness center, a 4,500 seat equestrian arena, and a 150,000 square foot meeting/exhibit hall. The South Coast Casino, the largest Boyd Gaming/Coast development to date, will open with 662 rooms in the north tower and a second, south tower, currently under construction, will have 695 rooms.
According to southcoastcasino.com, “The South Coast will employ nearly 2,400 people which will create over 10,000 new jobs in the work force of Las Vegas.” In Las Vegas, with the gaming and entertainment industry, our job market keeps growing with no end in sight.
How Far Will “The Strip” Go?
October 6th, 2005 the Las Vegas Review Journal said, “The developers of Southern Highlands unveiled plans to extend the Las Vegas Strip farther south.” Clark County Commissioners approved Olympia Gaming’s master plan to develop the 100-acre site catty-corner to Last Call Tavern near St. Rose Parkway at Las Vegas Boulevard.
The article went on to say, “The initial development will use 50 acres of the parcel and will include a $750 million hotel-casino that will have 610 rooms.” The article further reported, “About 20 acres of the overall site will feature mixed-use retail.” It also stated that when finished, “The project is expected to cost developers more than $2 billion.”
Another article, in the November 2nd, 2005 Las Vegas Sun reported, “The first phase is expected to open by summer 2008.” Can you imagine what will happen to our part of the valley over the next ten years? These really are exciting times to be living in the South Valley.
Local Development Put on Hold for Another Year
According to the October 20th, 2005 article in the Las Vegas Review Journal, “Clark County commissioners put an end to the feud between those defending their Old West life style and those (major developers) whose idea of a new frontier is a hotel-casino or master-planned community.” The article also said, “Commissioners rezoned nearly 3,500 pieces of property to a Rural Neighborhood Preservation designation that allows for one home per half-acre.” The disputed area is between Durango Drive in the west to Bermuda Road on the east to Warm Springs Road on the north and St. Rose Parkway to the south.
This means property owners’ cannot apply for a zone change until 2007. Then, they will have the opportunity to show that their “Proposed project will fit in with the protected Rural Neighborhood zoning.” But, because developers were able to find loopholes they found ways to build their tract homes and commercial buildings in our South Valley.
Bruce Woodbury, our county commissioner, stood up for the people “who have invested their whole lives and dreams into their homes.” As for the rest of the County Commissioners? They “Voted unanimously to rezone the nearly 3,500 pieces of property to a Rural Neighborhood Preservation designation.” I, Brad Emens, can appreciate the point of view of those who bought homes out here years ago to escape the city sprawl. I am excited to see what the Las Vegas South Valley will become.
Spencer Crossing
One of the most exciting things about our area is watching the development of huge commercial intersections. One example is the twenty-seven-lane intersection of St. Rose Parkway at Eastern Avenue. Another area that caught my attention was the corner of St. Rose Parkway at Spencer Street; particularly the northwest corner.
On November 3rd, 2005 I met with David Barnes, the superintendent for the restaurant being built there. He told me, “The 6,700 square foot Fireside Inn is a tavern and will be very nice.” He went on to tell me, “That huge pile of rocks…” he gestured to the east, “will be a service station.” Barnes was very informative about what is happening in our area.
When I moved here in the winter of 1997 I remember St. Rose Parkway was a two-lane country road called Lake Mead Drive. These days we are seeing our area become more and more developed. I am excited to see what happens to the intersection of Maryland Parkway at St. Rose Parkway.
Waldorf Chicken Salad
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 large skinned red apple, cored and cut into ½ inch chunks
2 celery stalks sliced into ¼ inch pieces
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 pinches of. salt
1/4 cup walnut pieces
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese, optional
Romaine lettuce leaves
1) Bring 2 inches of water to boil in skillet, add chicken breast, reduce and let simmer 8 to 12 minutes (don’t let water boil or chicken will toughen). Cool and cut into 1 inch chunks.
2) Combine with apple, celery slices, raisins and walnuts. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice and salt. Pour over chicken mixture and toss well to coat. 3) Serve on Romaine lettuce leaves and sprinkle with blue cheese to bring out the flavor of the apples. Serve chilled. Makes 4 servings.
Silverado Ranch Boulevard at Bermuda RoadOn October 27th, 2005 I was getting gas at our local 7-11 on the corner of Silverado Ranch Boulevard at Bermuda Road. Across the street, next to Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, I saw a team of construction workers pull up the last frame to complete the skeletal structure of what seemed to be another retail center. Immediately, I drove over to the construction site to see what was going on.
Keith St. George, superintendent of the project, told me, “The south end unit will be an El Pollo Loco with a few more retail businesses behind it.” He told me, “Completion date will be in the middle, and more than likely, late January…” of 2006. The northwest corner, a 45 +/- acre lot currently zoned C-2 or general commercial, is owned by BROADCAST ASSOCIATES INC.
Wow, can you believe how fast our area has become more and more developed? I heard it through the grapevine that the empty lot, closer to Bermuda Road (on the northeast corner), will be a Bank of America. I wonder how long it will be before we get a Starbuck’s?
Boca Raton
Imagine, luxury mid-rise living without all the maintenance of a stand-alone home. Boca Raton condominium homes prices are in the low $300,000s and up to $1.2 million. They range in size from 593 square feet to 2,400 square feet. The homes come in 41 floor plans including the Caravella Model; a two-story condominium with a private street-side entrance. On November 8th, 2005 Dorothy Bell, an agent from Boca Raton’s sales center, said, “Most of the people buying here love the floor plans and appreciate that they don’t have to ride in an elevator for a long time.”
Located just off of Las Vegas Boulevard, at 2475 West Serene Avenue, Boca Raton condominium homes have 1 to 3 bedrooms and 1 ½ to 2 ½ bathrooms. According to latimes.com, “The seven-story community encompasses four buildings with 756 homes.” Two of the four buildings have been released and two-thirds of the homes already sold. Construction of Phase 1, which offers 172 homes, is supposed to be complete in the fall of 2006.
The best benefits of the Boca Raton community are its amenities. Some include concierge service, a business center, a fully equipped clubhouse, a movie theater, a fitness center, and two pools. Call me, Brad Emens 702-808-3531, if you would like to learn more.
Cactus Sand and Gravel
The question I am asked most frequently is, “What’s the deal with the gravel pit?” On June 5, 2003 the Las Vegas Sun wrote this story.
“The pit, at Amigo Street and Cactus Avenue, just outside of Henderson, has for a decade bothered residents who complained of noise and dust from blasting, mining and hauling from the site. The pit, however, is ultimately supposed to become a basin to trap floodwaters, and so has support from the county government. Several other companies are participants in the operation. Impact Sand and Gravel is named in county documents as the operator of the site; Cactus Sand and Gravel and the Canarelli Family Trust.”
The exact future of the land is uncertain. An article in the July 22nd, 2004 Las Vegas Sun said,
“The Clark County Commission…gave a six-year lease on life to continue digging at a gravel pit in the residential Silverado Ranch area despite the warning from the county's legal counsel that the pit amounted to a commercial mining operation.”
At the last community meeting, held on August 8th, 2005, Luis Cervantes, one of the general managers and public relations representatives for Impact Sand and Gravel, told us, “It (the gravel pit) will not be a detention basin but a retention basin…that controls flooding down stream.” Did you know we live near the Pittman Wash? Its course runs a few hundred feet west of the intersection Maryland Parkway at Pyle Avenue. The retention basin will help control floodwaters on the south side of the valley and drain the rainwater to Lake Mead.
Development of our valley requires the presence of the gravel pit; I, Brad Emens, know this and my back yard faces Cactus Avenue. Every morning I hear the thunderous trucks at 4:00 AM. If you have any questions or concerns about the gravel pit there are quarterly community meetings. I will let you know when the next one is scheduled.
South Coast Casino Update
JA Tiberti Construction, who has been building in Las Vegas for more than fifty years, is the builder of the $600 million South Coast. I spoke with Andi Reddick, assistant to Ron Frye, Vice President of Construction for Coast Casinos, on November 8th, 2005. She told me, “The casino, Century Cinema, the north tower (guest rooms) and a 64 lane bowling alley are expected to open December 15th,” 2005. She went on to tell me, “The Equestrian Center is expected to open next February and the south tower will open at the beginning of May, 2006.”
Some of the attractions will include six restaurants, a sixteen screen movie theatre complex, 2,400 video poker and slot machines, a 600 seat bingo hall, a spa and fitness center, a 4,500 seat equestrian arena, and a 150,000 square foot meeting/exhibit hall. The South Coast Casino, the largest Boyd Gaming/Coast development to date, will open with 662 rooms in the north tower and a second, south tower, currently under construction, will have 695 rooms.
According to southcoastcasino.com, “The South Coast will employ nearly 2,400 people which will create over 10,000 new jobs in the work force of Las Vegas.” In Las Vegas, with the gaming and entertainment industry, our job market keeps growing with no end in sight.
How Far Will “The Strip” Go?October 6th, 2005 the Las Vegas Review Journal said, “The developers of Southern Highlands unveiled plans to extend the Las Vegas Strip farther south.” Clark County Commissioners approved Olympia Gaming’s master plan to develop the 100-acre site catty-corner to Last Call Tavern near St. Rose Parkway at Las Vegas Boulevard.
The article went on to say, “The initial development will use 50 acres of the parcel and will include a $750 million hotel-casino that will have 610 rooms.” The article further reported, “About 20 acres of the overall site will feature mixed-use retail.” It also stated that when finished, “The project is expected to cost developers more than $2 billion.”
Another article, in the November 2nd, 2005 Las Vegas Sun reported, “The first phase is expected to open by summer 2008.” Can you imagine what will happen to our part of the valley over the next ten years? These really are exciting times to be living in the South Valley.
Local Development Put on Hold for Another Year
According to the October 20th, 2005 article in the Las Vegas Review Journal, “Clark County commissioners put an end to the feud between those defending their Old West life style and those (major developers) whose idea of a new frontier is a hotel-casino or master-planned community.” The article also said, “Commissioners rezoned nearly 3,500 pieces of property to a Rural Neighborhood Preservation designation that allows for one home per half-acre.” The disputed area is between Durango Drive in the west to Bermuda Road on the east to Warm Springs Road on the north and St. Rose Parkway to the south.
This means property owners’ cannot apply for a zone change until 2007. Then, they will have the opportunity to show that their “Proposed project will fit in with the protected Rural Neighborhood zoning.” But, because developers were able to find loopholes they found ways to build their tract homes and commercial buildings in our South Valley.
Bruce Woodbury, our county commissioner, stood up for the people “who have invested their whole lives and dreams into their homes.” As for the rest of the County Commissioners? They “Voted unanimously to rezone the nearly 3,500 pieces of property to a Rural Neighborhood Preservation designation.” I, Brad Emens, can appreciate the point of view of those who bought homes out here years ago to escape the city sprawl. I am excited to see what the Las Vegas South Valley will become.
Spencer Crossing
One of the most exciting things about our area is watching the development of huge commercial intersections. One example is the twenty-seven-lane intersection of St. Rose Parkway at Eastern Avenue. Another area that caught my attention was the corner of St. Rose Parkway at Spencer Street; particularly the northwest corner.
On November 3rd, 2005 I met with David Barnes, the superintendent for the restaurant being built there. He told me, “The 6,700 square foot Fireside Inn is a tavern and will be very nice.” He went on to tell me, “That huge pile of rocks…” he gestured to the east, “will be a service station.” Barnes was very informative about what is happening in our area.
When I moved here in the winter of 1997 I remember St. Rose Parkway was a two-lane country road called Lake Mead Drive. These days we are seeing our area become more and more developed. I am excited to see what happens to the intersection of Maryland Parkway at St. Rose Parkway.
Waldorf Chicken Salad
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 large skinned red apple, cored and cut into ½ inch chunks
2 celery stalks sliced into ¼ inch pieces
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 pinches of. salt
1/4 cup walnut pieces
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese, optional
Romaine lettuce leaves
1) Bring 2 inches of water to boil in skillet, add chicken breast, reduce and let simmer 8 to 12 minutes (don’t let water boil or chicken will toughen). Cool and cut into 1 inch chunks.
2) Combine with apple, celery slices, raisins and walnuts. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice and salt. Pour over chicken mixture and toss well to coat. 3) Serve on Romaine lettuce leaves and sprinkle with blue cheese to bring out the flavor of the apples. Serve chilled. Makes 4 servings.
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